Belt-stretcher.



No. 685,201. Patented Oct. 22, IQ OI G. T. CUMMINGS.

BELT ST'RETCHER.

(Application Med Feb. 14, 1901. (No Model.) 2 Shouts-Shoot I.

UNITED STATES PATENT "men.

CORNELIUS CUMMINGS, OF VVALTERBORO, SOUTH CAROLINA.

BELT-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Batent N 0-. 685,201, datedOctober 22, 1901. Application filed February 14,1901. $erial No. 47,316.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Beit known that LCORNELIUS T. CUMMINGS, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Walterboro, in the county of Oolleton and State ofSouth Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBelt-Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame. I

My invention relates to improvements in belt-stretchers; and it consistsof improved apparatus by means of which the belt may be readily andrapidly stretched or tightened and the apparatus quickly andconveniently removed.

The various advantages of the herein-described construction will beevident from the following description, in which reference will be hadto the accompanying drawings.

The same parts shown in the drawings are indicated by the same lettersthroughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the apparatus in use instretching or tightening a belt. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thedevice shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section along the line 3 3of Fig. 2. are detail views showing, respectively, the bolt for holdingthe clamping-blocks together and the ratchet mechanism.

A and A are the clamping-blocks, preferably of wood, which areshouldered, as at a, to permit the insertion of the ratchet-bars B.

These ratchet-bars have a flanged head 12 on one end, and the other endis provided with ratchet-teeth b. Each of the clamping-blocks A istransversely slotted, as at a, (see Fig. 1,) so as to swing over one ofthe bolts 0 when the stretcher is being put on and so as to swing backand allow the bolts to be readily removed when the stretching ortightening operation is over. The bolts 0 pass through the cam-blocks Eand F and have their opposite endsscrew-threaded to engage the thumbnutsD. These cam-blocks have cam-faces e and f, (shown in Fig. 4,) and thebolts 0 are cut away, as at 0, having flattened portions (see Fig. 4) topass between the arms g of the plate G, which is let into the cam blockF, secured by screws through the earsf' to the Figs. 4 and 5clamping-block A. This plate G prevents the bolt (3 from turning aboutits axis. It is an advantage to fit the plate G into the camblock F,because it permits the use of an ordinary round bolt having flattenedportions, and obviates the necessity of making a squared hole in theblock F, which is troublesome and somewhat expensive. Onthe inside ofthe blocks A,I provide a scale a", pref erably in inches, which rendersit easier to center the belt.

The ends of the belt are brought together by a suitable ratchetmechanism, preferably that shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5 of the drawings,in which M is a metal frame slotted, as at m, to slip over the ends ofthe ratchet-bar B, as shown in Fig. 1, and in this frame two pawls P andR are monuted. The pawl P is pivoted in the hook m at the lower end ofthe operating-lever M which is pivoted at m in the frame M. This pawl isnormally pressed toward the teeth I) by means of the spring Q. The otherpawl R is pressed toward the teeth 6' by means of the spring S.

Referring to Fig. 5, it will be seen that by reciprocating the lever Mthrough a small an gle the frame M will be moved-along, the rack-barpushing the clamping-blocks A and A before it; but if this lever begiven a considerable throw to the right or to the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 5 the shoulder m on the hook m will bring upagainst the face 19 of the pawl P, raising the same to the positionshown in dotted lines, and the back of this pawl will lift the pawl Rout of engagement, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, when the wholeratchet mechanism may be slid bodily backward without having the pawlsengage the ratchet-teeth. Thus the tension on the belt or rope may bespeedily released.

The ratchet mechanism on the two bars B may be operated separately, asby two separate hand-levers, such as the lever N, (shown in Fig. 2;) butI- prefer to have these two formed in a bow terminating in a singlehandle, as shown at N and N in Fig. 1.

In practice the two ends of the belt are brought into the approximateposition shown in Fig. 1, the olamping-blocks are put in place, and thenthe thumb-screw D is screwed down by hand until a slight resistance isencountered, due to the clamping-blocks bearing on the belt. Then awrench is applied to the angular heads of the cam-blocks E, and theseblocks are turned until the cams e and f cause the clamping-blocks tobind the belt very firmly in position. Then the belt is stretched ortightened by operating the handle N until the desired tension issecured. The ends of the belt are now fastened together and the cams Eare eased down, which will relieve the pressure so much that the block Amay be swung around about one of the bolts 0, allowing the otherbolt topass through the slot a, and the entire apparatus may be readilyremoved.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

1. In a belt-stretcher, the combination with rack bars and clampingdevices mounted thereon for holding the belt, of ratchet mechanismtraveling on said rack-bars, each comprising a traveling frame slidingover the rack-bars, an operating-lever pivoted in said frame, aspring-pawl mounted on said operating-lever, a second pawl mounted insaid frame and a shoulder on said operating-lever adapted to engage thefirst pawl and throw it out of engagement with the rack-teeth and tocause it to strike the second pawl and throw it also out of engagementwhen the opcrating-lever is thrown to its extreme position,substantially as described.

2. In a belt-stretcher, the combination with a pair of clamping-blocks,of a bolt threaded at one end and provided with flattened portions nearthe other end, a cam-block with a platelet thereinto and holding theboltagainst turning, a second cam-block revolubly mounted on the boltand engaging the other camblock, and a thumb-screw mounted on thescrew-threaded end of said bolt, substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CORNELIUS T. CUMMINGS.

\Vitnesses:

FRANK D. BLAOKISTONE, J. STEPHEN GIUSTA.

